Don't Cry
by Lady Strange
Summary: CHAPTER 8 UP!!!!
1. Battle

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction. This story takes place after the cell games in Mirai Trunks' world.  
  
Part 1: Battle  
  
Trunks looked at the sky. It was a beautiful blue. He smiled to himself, this day was it. He had returned from the past finally and was a lot stronger. This day he would rid his world of the evil androids that had caused so much pain and destruction. He would avenge the deaths of Gohan and those that had died before him. He would rebuild his world. Perhaps then the loneliness he had felt since Gohan's death would abate. First though, he would destroy the androids. Trunks shot into the air and flew off to find them.  
  
************************************************************************ 18 looked over at her brother. He was delighting himself with the pathetic weaklings called humans. 18 let out an exasperated sigh; the desperate cries for help were annoying her. She and her brother, 17, shared the same hatred for humans, but where he enjoyed teasing and terrorizing them, she simply killed them. 18 folded her arms over her chest and let out another sigh, "are you finished yet?" she asked her brother. "No" he said without turning his head. "I'm having fun with this and anyway there's nothing else to do."  
  
"Did you ever consider that this particular activity is not as enjoyable to me as it is to you?"  
  
17 shrugged, "nothing is enjoyable to you." He said simply. "You never smile."  
  
"There's nothing to smile about" she spat. "I'm so bored! Will you hurry up and kill them already, they're annoying me!"  
  
"Everything annoys you."  
  
She glared at him.  
  
"Oh fine!" he blasted the building in which the frightened people had run, causing it to collapse and instantly kill everyone inside. "Happy?"  
  
"Hmph. You took long enough."  
  
"Yes, well now I'm bored. I'll have enough trouble trying to find any more humans to play with. They're mostly either dead or underground."  
  
"You waste your time. Why can't you just kill them and be done?"  
  
"What would I do then?"  
  
"Spend more time on your appearance. You look awful."  
  
"Hmph!" he paused in thought. "I do wish that Trunks were here though."  
  
"Why?"  
  
17 shrugged, "he was entertaining."  
  
18 pursed her lips, "he at least didn't wail and cry."  
  
"Fights with him didn't end so quickly. It wasn't much but it was more challenge than I have now."  
  
"Whatever. Can we go?"  
  
"Where? There's probably nothing interesting left on this planet."  
  
Just then 18 felt something. A large ki headed in their direction. She turned to her brother, "do you feel that?"  
  
"What? No wait, I feel it now. Who is it? I thought we killed everyone with even a small energy level."  
  
"We did." She looked in the direction it was coming from, shading her eyes, "everyone but…Trunks?"  
  
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Trunks was still soaring through the sky. Just ahead he could see two figures hovering above the remains of a building. There, he thought, I've found them. He powered up to Super Saiya-jin level and them sped toward the two androids.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
18 squinted her eyes to see better, "looks like you got your wish 17."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Here he comes."  
  
Just then Trunks shot forward, fist ready. He landed a hard punch on the side of 17's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. 17 wiped the blood from his lip, snarling, "That…brat…will…PAY!" 18 looked at him and smirked, "your temper 17. You wished him here."  
  
"aahhhhh!" 17 launched an all out attack at Trunks, throwing mighty punches and kicks to no avail. "Why…can't…I…hit…him!" he screamed.  
  
Trunks stared at him coldly. "I have surpassed you" he said, seemingly devoid of emotion. He threw a series of blasts at the android, most of which landing with chilling accuracy. 17 lay on the ground, furious. "NO! It's not possible! That brat could not have beaten me!"  
  
"I have not beaten you until you're dead" Trunks told the android. For the first time during his existence as a non-human, 17 felt fear. 18 looked on in disbelief. There was no way just no way! She saw Trunks gather a massive ball of energy and aim it at 17.  
  
"Now you basterd!" he shouted "VANISH FROM MY SIGHT!!!!"  
  
18 gasped as the blast hit 17 head on. He screamed, but only for a moment for he was soon burned to nothing. 18 looked at the empty place where her brother had been, he had been annoying but he had been her brother and all she had. A small tear escaped her eyes. 17, she thought, I can't believe you're gone. "Now I am alone," she whispered. No! I don't want to be alone.  
  
"Not for long," a cold voice sounded behind her. "I will send you to your brother."  
  
Fear gripped 18, fear like never before. He was barely scathed by his fight with 17(if you can call it that). Trunks had destroyed 17 with little effort. She had always been stronger than her brother by not so significantly that it would save her. She slowly faced him. He was advancing toward her, hands raised. "No!" she shouted throwing up her shield, "No! I don't want to die!"  
  
"Do you think all the innocent people you killed did?!" He fired a small blast at her. It bounced harmlessly off her shield.  
  
"I…I…" she was to terrified to give and answer.  
  
"Do you think Gohan wanted to die?!" He sent another blast, this time pushing her back.  
  
"I…I…" 18 still had no answer. She couldn't believe this was happening. She and her brother were supposed to be the strongest, unmatched, unbeatable, unstoppable, yet…17 was dead and she…she was going to die.  
  
"You killed them all! My father, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamucha, Tien! DO YOU THINK THEY WANTED TO DIE?!!"  
  
"I…"  
  
"Do you think my mother wanted to be lonely all those years? Do you think I wanted to grow up without a father?" He sent another blast at her, knocking her back. "DO YOU!" Another. This one penetrated she shield and burned a hole in her side. She screamed in pain and grasped the gapping hole. Pain! Pain! That's all she could feel. It hurt so. She had never been hurt this badly…ever. She wasn't supposed to feel pain! She wasn't human! That was why she had agreed to let Dr. Gero turn her into an android in the first place, to escape the pain! She looked at Trunks. She hated him for this pain!  
  
"stop! You're hurting me!"  
  
Trunks fired another blast at her. "LOOK AT THIS WORLD! DO YOU THINK WE ASKED FOR THIS!"  
  
"I know but…I don't want to die!" tears flowed from her eyes. Flooding her face with salt.  
  
He just looked at her, coldness returning to his eyes with a hint of pity, "Sometimes, we don't get what we want." He fired a final blast at her and she knew darkness.  
  
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Bulma looked out the kitchen window. Trunks where are you?, she thought, I hope you're not hurt. Please don't be hurt. I'd die if you didn't come back. She turned back to her task of making dinner. He was all right. She was sure of it. Besides he'd promised he would be fine, he'd promised he would come back…so did Vegeta, and he never came back. He died… No. Trunks was fine, she told herself, there was no way he could be otherwise…yet…She heard a large explosion far off in the distance. It sounded like…it sounded like…She could still remember that day, the day her heart had broken forever. A tear ran down her face as the memories played in her head.  
  
She stood in the doorway cradling an infant in her arms. A man stood in front of her with his arms folded over his chest. He turned to go. She grabbed his arm, "please, don't leave me!"  
  
"We've been through this woman." He said. "I must go. I have to battle the androids. I cannot stay here with you."  
  
Tears began falling down her face leaving salty trails, "I know…I just…I don't know what I would do without you."  
  
He gently wiped the tears from her face, "don't cry woman. You know I hate that." Cupping her chin in his gloved hand, he softly kissed her "Bulma …" he murmured her name, he rarely ever said her name. She grabbed his hand and looked into his dark eyes, "Vegeta…promise me…promise me you'll come back to me."  
  
He frowned, "Woman I…"  
  
She squeezed his hand desperately and choked back tears, "promise me!"  
  
He kissed her again, "I promise"…  
  
The scene faded. A new scene appeared, showing a day or two later.  
  
Bulma sat in the kitchen playing with baby Trunks. He gurgled happily and clapped his hands as she made faces at him. Bulma smiled. She loved to see her son happy, even when she wasn't. He hadn't returned yet. She missed him, especially at night. It was cold without him. She was worried but not much, he had promised her he would come back, she trusted him, and he wouldn't lie to her… Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Bulma got up, placing Trunks on her hip, and answered it. Chi-chi stood out side looking distressed. "Chi-chi, what's wrong? Has something happened?"  
  
"Bulma, there's something I need to tell you." She said carefully trying to find the right words.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Perhaps you should sit down"  
  
"Chi-chi what is it?"  
  
Chi-chi sighed, "I've just been to Kame House…"  
  
"And?"  
  
"And I…I have some news. It's about Vegeta."  
  
"What is it?!" Bulma was getting nervous, something was not right. She could feel it something horrible had happened, but she couldn't jump to conclusions. "Go on."  
  
"I'm sorry Bulma, I'm so sorry. It was too late when they found him, it was…too late"  
  
Bulma could feel her breath catch in her throat. No. It couldn't be. "What are you talking about?" she said shakily, feigning ignorance, hopping against all hope…  
  
" He…Vegeta, he…he…Vegeta is…"  
  
Bulma covered her mouth to keep from screaming. She began to shake her head, "no. No it's not true. No."  
  
"I'm so sorry Bulma."  
  
"But he can be brought back can't he?! The Dragonballs…I can wish him back?!"  
  
"No Bulma I'm sorry, he's gone."  
  
"No! NO! It's not true it's not! He's not gone! HE CAN'T BE!!"  
  
"I'm so sorry I had to tell you." Chichi laid a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"No! Oh Kami NO!" She crumpled to the floor, taking Trunks with her, and beat her fists against it. "Vegeta you basterd!" she cried, "how could you! How could you just die on me like that! How could you! How could you let those fucking pieces of scrap metal kill you! You said you were the strongest! You said they didn't stand a chance! You said you would be fine! You lied, damn you, you lied to me!!! Trunks needs you! I need you! You fucking ass-hole, you lied!! You lied!!!!!"  
  
Chichi grabbed Bulma by the shoulders and began to shake her as Trunks wailed, confused and angry. "Bulma! Bulma, stop it! Calm down!"  
  
Bulma continued screaming, paying no attention to either Chichi or her son. " No! No no no no no! How could you! How could you leave me alone! Damn you Vegeta! Damn you to hell! I love you, you fucking son of a bitch! Is this what I get! How could you, you fucking basterd! YOU LIED!!! You promised me you'd come back! You promised me damnit! YOU PROMISED ME!!!" she hid her face in her hands and sobbed loudly…  
  
"Mother?" a voice startled Bulma from her daze. A single tear falling from her face "Mother, are you all right?"  
  
"Trunks? Trunks" she ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh I was so worried! I thought…I thought…" She admitted to herself what she had thought, that he was gone. That he had been taken from her, just like his father.  
  
"don't worry Mother I'm fine. They're gone."  
  
"whose gone?"  
  
"the androids, I destroyed them."  
  
"oh Trunks." She said, and hugged him tighter.  
  
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18 was jolted awake. I'm not dead? How? She was buried under tons of cement and rubble. Her body ached badly. She looked at the hole in her side. She was alive, but she wouldn't be if she didn't get help soon. She slowly dug herself out; the world was dark around her. She looked around. If I'm alive then maybe 17…no I am fooling myself he could not possibly have survived. She brushed the dried salt trail from her face. How long have I been unconscious? then she felt an awful pain in her side. I need help if I am to survive, but who can help me? She thought for a moment, I know. She weakly lifted herself into the air and slowly flew off.  
  
  
  
Me: I have other chapters done already but I won't upload them unless I get some reviews! I don't mind CONSTRUCTIVE criticism but PLEASE no flames. 


	2. Time to Live

Author's note: sorry it took so long but I had soooooo much homework! R/R enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: ::sniff:: I … I … I …::sniff:: Idon'townanyofthem WAAAAAAAAH!!  
  
  
  
Part 2: Penitence  
  
She sat in the dust clutching a red bandanna to her chest.  
  
"What am I supposed to do now 17, huh? What am I supposed to do?" although her eyes were red and puffed, she could cry no more. "If I stay he'll kill me. If I leave he'll find me and kill me." She looked at her torn side, "I can't survive for long this way," she looked at her surroundings, "but I don't want to die here." She stood up, taking the bandanna with her. "Soon brother, I'll see you in hell soon, just let me find a quiet place to die." She trudged along the road smiling weakly to herself.  
  
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Bulma heard a light uneven tapping on the door. Who could it be? There was hardly anyone above ground, and Trunks had a key. She slowly made her way to the door and opened it. One of the androids, the female, was laying pitifully on the door step. A cold fear gripped Bulma. What if this android had come to take revenge for what Trunks had done? Trunks was out at the moment and she had no way to defend herself. The android looked at her through beautifully cold eyes. "Please" she said, "may I come in?"  
  
"No."  
  
She looked up at Bulma "I don't want you to help me; I just want a quiet place to die. Please. I don't want to die alone."  
  
"No. You deserve to die alone!"  
  
"I don't really want to die, its just that there's no other option. I won't hurt you; I don't have enough strength, please? I only want…"  
  
"You don't always get what you want."  
  
"That's what Trunks told me."  
  
"It's true. If I got what I want, this world would not be in ruin and my husband and friends would not be dead."  
  
The tears that she had held back spilled through her eye lashes and 18 cried. "I'm sorry." She said, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"…"  
  
"I am alone now. I don't want to die alone. I will do anything you ask of me. Anything! Just please, please! Don't make me die like my brother."  
  
Bulma looked carefully at 18. She should slam the door and tell her to go to hell. She should. She tried to close the door but her hand wouldn't move. She sighed, she just couldn't, after that startling confession of fear, she just couldn't turn away from the obviously suffering girl. Bulma nodded her head, "very well" was all she said. She opened the door wider letting the android stagger in. "but I won't let you die."  
  
18 stared at her in shock. "I…"  
  
"…should, if you are indeed sorry for what you've done, try to do something to help us rebuild."  
  
"But…"  
  
"I am willing to let it go, to start anew. I am not afraid of you because I am not afraid of death, should that be the consequence of my helping you. I once chose to put my faith in a ruthless prince who on numerous occasions attempted to destroy me, my friends, and even this very planet." She looked pointedly at the android, "now I choose to follow my instincts and put my faith in you."  
  
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Trunks was so happy. He couldn't wait to get home to tell his mother the news; she would be thrilled. He landed at Capsule Corp. and rushed through the door. "Mother!" he called, "Mother, where are you? I have wonderful news!" the house was silent. "Mother?" Trunks was beginning to get worried. He went down the hall to search for her, passing the medical room. As he passed a slight stir from the one of the beds caught his eye. He stopped and peeked in the door. "Mother is that you? You shouldn't be sleeping down here if you're tired." The figure in the bed yawned and sat up, revealing a young blonde girl. Trunks gasped. "You!" he exclaimed as he recognized 18.  
  
"Aahhhhh! Nooooooo! Don't kill me!"  
  
"I thought I had. Where is my mother? What did you do to her? Did you hurt her! DID YOU?!"  
  
"N-n-n-no. I didn't do anything to her!"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know!!" 18 was scared out of her mind. His mother? Bulma was his mother? She never would have come here if she had known that. Her chances for survival dropped quickly.  
  
"Well, I won't miss this time." He started building power in his hands.  
  
"Noooooo! Don't! Please!" she was backed all the way against the back of the bed. She began raking her nails against it in a desperate yet futile attempt to escape. Meanwhile Trunks kept building his attack. "KA…ME…"  
  
"NOOOOO! HELP ME! SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"HA…ME…"  
  
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"  
  
"H-"  
  
"Trunks NO!"  
  
The energy ball dissipated. Trunks stared at his mother in disbelief. "W-w- what?!"  
  
"You heard me young man! I thought I had taught you better manners than that?"  
  
"M-m-m-m-manners? Y-y-you want me to show some MANNERS?!"  
  
"Yes manners! M-A-N-N-E-R-S. Manners! We have a guest in our home and you act like a savage! Honestly! You act more like your father every day!"  
  
"A-a-a guest? That bitch?!"  
  
"TRUNKS!!! Watch your mouth!!" she sighed "oh where did I go wrong?"  
  
18, meanwhile, was clinging to her bed sheets in complete terror. She turned her gaze from Trunks to Bulma. "Oh please", she whimpered, "don't let him kill me! You're not going to let him kill me?"  
  
"Of course not!" Bulma snapped, "It would be a waste after I saved your life."  
  
"SAVED HER LIFE!!!!" Trunks exclaimed  
  
"YES! NOW STOP YELLING!!"  
  
"How could you? After all she did? Father? Gohan?"  
  
"I don't need to explain my actions to you!"  
  
"I want answers!"  
  
"Don't take that tone of voice with me young man!"  
  
"Mother, I'm 20 years old!"  
  
"I don't care how old you are! I'm still your mother, and in case you haven't noticed I'm not dead yet and until I am, control of this family belongs to one person in this household: ME!!"  
  
Trunks sat on the floor and grumbled, "Yes m'am"  
  
"Good" 


	3. In Between

Disclaimer: you know the drill  
  
Don't Cry  
  
Part: 3  
  
  
  
He was watching her. He was always watching her. No matter where she went. 18 turned to look at Trunks on his rooftop perch, his piercing blue eyes met her black ones and she looked away.  
  
"What are you staring at!" she called toward him.  
  
He effortlessly leapt from the roof and the next instant he was behind her. She spun to meet his gaze.  
  
"You" he replied in low husky tones.  
  
18 narrowed her eyes. "Are so afraid of me that you must watch my every move?"  
  
He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it to the breaking point, and brought her to within inches of his own face. "I am not afraid of you android! Not now and never again!"  
  
"Then why do you watch me so closely? Only one who is afraid would do such."  
  
The hair on his head began to lift. "I am not-"  
  
"Prove it." She smirked. "Turn around while I am here, I dare you."  
  
Trunks didn't move.  
  
"See? You are scared. You're scared that as soon as you take your eyes away, I'll go on a killing spree that you won't be able to stop. You're scared that everything you know and love will be taken away from you in an instant." She pulled a red bandanna from her pocket. "You're scared that everything you depend on will be gone. You're scared to be alone." She turned and slowly walked back toward the house. "Welcome to my world."  
  
  
  
She infuriates me. Her very existence is the bane of my own. So why is it that I cannot bring myself to kill her!? It is more than my mother. That I could easily handle, it is something else. Could it possibly be that I am starting to believe in her? Believe that she has changed? I wage an internal war with myself I want to believe in change, believe that people can want to do good. I…I want something to believe in. As I see this crumbling world that I struggle to rebuild, I want something…something to hold on to. Is it possible that the thing I hate and fear most will give this to me? I want to forgive. My mother's blood is telling me that it is time to forgive, to start anew, but…but… The saijin part that is me will not allow that! She is my enemy, a murderer! I can accept nothing else.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: sorry it's so short but this is all I had time for. I know I said that I finished the fic (and I did) but I went back over it and I didn't like how it sounded so I'm pretty much re-writing it. R/R! ~ me  
  
p.s ( to SSJ Easter Bunny, I kept your advice in mind when writing this part. O and I read yours it's not bad. (the review was supposed to say this is not a flame, just so you know). 


	4. Make a Wish

Chapter 4-Make a wish  
  
AN: Heeelllllloooooo people. I've been gone 4 such a long time it's not even funny but I'm back and here's two more chapters 4 ya!  
  
Disclaimer: you know the drill.I don't own it blah blah blah.  
  
Over the next several weeks, 18 tried hard to avoid Trunks. It was difficult, for everywhere she turned; there he was, staring at her. As if to say 'I'm watching you. Make one wrong move and I'll blast you so deep into hell, the devil won't even find you.' She knew he could and she knew from experience that if provoked, he would. She could tell he loved his mother. She would hear him laughing with her at some silly thing, but as soon as 18 would walk into the room, his laugh would cut short and his eyes would narrow. Sometimes she was sure he would burn a hole right in her head. She sighed, he hates me, she thought, it will always be like this. I'm still alone. Why did you have to die 17? I think it was very selfish of you to do. You didn't think about me did you? You didn't think that you were all I had. I just can't believe you're gone, brother. It's not the same without you. With you I at least wasn't alone. You didn't hate me for what I was because you were the same thing. You knew it wasn't our fault that we were that way, but he doesn't, and he'll never understand. He'll always hate me.I'll always be alone. "You're blocking the doorway" a cold voice sounded behind her. She turned to face Trunks. "I'm sorry" "." "Listen.I" "I don't have time for your shit pity trips" he scoffed, brushing her roughly aside. ************************************************************************ 18 found Bulma in her lab. "Bulma?" she asked tentatively "yes? what is it?" "I just wanted to thank you. I know that I don't deserve this and I." "don't." "but." "don't. I did what I did because I believed what you said about wanting to make up for what you had done. You understand?" "yes." "good, because there's something I want you to do." "yes?" "run and tell Trunks his mother wants to speak with him." 18 smiled jus a bit and exited the lab. Passing Trunks in the hallway she smirked at him. "Your mommy wants you." ************************************************************************ Bulma stared as 18 left. Who would have thought? Androids have feelings too. She looked back at her time machine. It was better now, more advanced, and it had room for two instead of one. She had planned on going along with Trunks to New Namek to hunt for the dragon balls, but now she had a better idea." "Trunks!" she called. Trunks rushed into the room. "Yes mother what is it?" "It's done. The ship is finished, well, mostly anyway. As soon as I put the finishing touches on it, it'll be ready for New Namek. I've also made adjustments to my old dragon radar" "That's wonderful mother. When do we leave?" "We don't." "Huh? What do you mean?" She sighed, "I'm not going with you." "WHAT!? Why not?" "I'm needed here. Besides I want you to take Her with you." "THE ANDROID!! YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THAT WALKING PILE OF JUNK WITH ME!!" "Trunks! Tone your voice down! She'll here you!" "Why? Why should I take her?" "Because I asked you to" "Alright I'll take her, but bringing her back is another story. The first chance I get I'm dumping her on some remote planet!" "I don't want you to bring her back." "What! Why?" "Haven't you noticed her lately? She's so lonely, and she's miserable. I want you to find a remote planet, just as you said, but make sure it's nice, and leave her. The people there won't know her as the heartless terminator that she was before. I don't want her to live a life in which everyone hates her. As hard as this is for me to say and as much as I want to blame her for everything, I can't. It's not her fault, not completely anyway." "What do you mean 'heartless terminator that she was before'? She still is a heartless terminator!" "No! You don't know her!" "And you do!? She's only been here one month, how can you 'know' her? What's there to know?" "Sit down Trunks. I want to tell you some thing. While I was making the repairers on her I came across her memory banks." ************************************************************************ ."So now it's not her fault, is that what you're saying? I'm supposed to feel sorry for her now?" "Just be a little more understanding. That's what I'm saying." "Ha. Understanding. I will take her with me. Only because it is your wish, Mother." "Thank you." 


	5. Journey of Another

Chapter 5-Journey of Another  
  
Trunks gazed at the time machine. The day had finally arrived. He would rather have taken his mother with him, but this was what she wanted. The android was taking too long. Its not as if she had any clothes to take with her. She finally exited the house and they boarded the time machine together. "What took you so long?" "I was saying goodbye to your mother." "Goodbye?" "I know what she told you to do. I'm sad because I'll miss her, but it's for the best I suppose. Its not like anyone here will miss me anyway." She turned her head to stare out the window. They rose into the air and disappeared. ************************************************************************ 18 looked outside the ship. The terrible wrenching motion had finally stopped. She turned to trunks, "where are we?" "New Namek" "That quickly?" "The Nameks chose a planet that wasn't as far from Earth as their original home had been, and technology has advanced." 18 stared around as they exited the ship and Trunks encapsulated it. They were in the wilderness. It was beautiful there. She had never taken time to appreciate beauty except in herself. "Come on." Trunks said roughly and launched himself into the sky. He still hates me, she thought and caught up to him. "where are we going?" "To find a better spot for the capsule house, it's too windy and not level enough here." He ignored her and sped on as she silently followed. ************************************************************************ The palace was on fire, a young man was running through the halls clutching tightly to a little girl's hand. "Come on Sana! We have to hurry!" "No wait! Where's Mes?!" "Don't worry Sana, Serit will find him. Come on we have to go!" He scooped her up into his arms and continued to run. All around him walls were collapsing, evidence of the battle going on outside. He finally arrived at a corridor. Sounds could be heard outside; the enemy would soon be upon them. He sat the girl down on the floor and pointed down the corridor. "The soldiers will be here soon. Listen to me Sana. Go straight down this hall. Run as fast as you can and don't stop for anything! At the end you'll see a space pod. Get in it and close the door. You remember what button I told you to push?" She sniffed and nodded, "the white one with the blue star." "Good. Push that button; the pod will take you out of here. Don't worry; it's all planned out. You'll be safe." Her brows furrowed. "What about you? Aren't you coming with me?!" He knelt down and pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "No Sana, I can't go with you this time." He released her and pulled the strap that held his sword and scabbard over his head, and pushed them into her hands. "I want you to keep these for me. Promise me you'll keep them until I come to get them." Tears were streaming down the little girl's face. "But Lokil-" "Promise me!" he said more urgently "I promise!" she sobbed. He hugged her again and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry." He smiled " When this is over it'll all just be one bad dream. Hey, I'll even play dolls with you ok?" She nodded and continued to cry. "You have to be brave little fighter." He said, "be brave and remember, I love you." He hugged her one last time and pushed her in the direction of the hall. "Go" The girl nodded tearfully. She turned, clutching the sword against her, and ran toward the pod. The young man turned back and waited to face the oncoming soldiers.  
  
Aesana stared at the sky. Her short, tan, skin-like fur bristled against the wind. A few strands of her long dark green hair managed to pull free of the braid that trapped them and fell into her face. She touched the hilt of the sword that hung at her side. Remembering the young man that had given it to her. I have taken great care of your sword as I promised Lokil. When will you come to claim it? I miss you and the others so much. I promised to keep your sword until you came for it but.you won't. You're gone and I miss you so much. She wiped away a tear and shaded her eyes peering of into the horizon. She was finally here. She only hoped they would listen. She wanted to save this planet, needed to save this planet. For her brothers. Aesana could remember sitting in the Great Hall at the Watcher's Keep on Fayilon with her mother as a little girl. Her mother used to tell her great stories of the Graedel, her people. She and Mother had been the only Graedel left. The rest were dead. Aesana remembered little of her world but she did have some distant memories and Mother's stories. It had been filled with flowers, a warm tropical paradise from out of a storybook. Trees everywhere and most animals were friendly toward the Graedel. Graedeserie, it had been called. If you got up early enough in the morning, you could hear the lark-angels sing to wake the sun. Fayilon did not have any lark-angels, or trees, or flowers. Nothing grew on Fayilon where the Watchers lived. Even so, Aesana and her mother had made the best of it, until Mo'byere got worse in Mother. She had gotten the disease during "The Great Breaking" when Graedeserie was destroyed and the two of them had fled. Toxic chemicals had been released from the planet's core causing her to contract Mo'byere (the strangling death). It killed her. When her mother died, Aesana stayed with the Watchers and became a Watcher. She closed her eyes. A Watcher. Watchers saw the planets without actually seeing them. True to their name they watched and kept records of historic, but never interfered. The stream of time flows as it will, destroying and creating, as it must. At 19 she was the youngest of the Watchers. Some Watchers took to watching a particular planet. Of course, since there were only 14 Watchers most Watchers took more than one. Aesana only had one planet. Earth. She had chosen this planet partly because no one else had, and partly because it reminded her of Graedeserie with all the green things it had had. More than the actual planet she watched the people. Earth people interested her. Aesana had seen the earth when it was attacked by the saijins, when some of the group had gone to Namek, and finally when the androids and had come. She cried at that thought, so many lives had been lost, and what made it worse was that she could do no more than watch as the beautiful planet was reduced to a mere shadow of what it had been. Just like mine. She could predict the future too, well sort of. She dreamt, and what she dreamt was real. What she dreamt was what was to happen. She knew the rules said that she wasn't allowed to interfere with what was to be, but she couldn't just sit back and let something so horrible happen. Which was what brought her here, to Namek, to find the dragonballs and hide them from she who was born of no mother, she who would steal the balls and use them to destroy the multiverse and every dimension and being along with it, she who was called The Maiden of Ravens. Aesana had snuck away. She opened her eyes and set off toward her destination. 


	6. Finding a Means

Disclaimer: you know the drill  
  
A/N: Alright I know my chapters have been pretty confusing as far as Juu's personality and emotions go but the thing you must keep in mind is.she's having an emotional breakdown people! Granted, a slow one but a breakdown none the less. She IS suffering from mild PTSD so her chemicals are confused and she switches emotions VERY easily. You know, she wasn't all that stable to begin with and now she finds herself pretty much alone. In this fic I'm really trying to explore her character and put a twist on her usual persona. Ideas and criticism are welcome and thanks to all of you who have followed this fic and been patient with me. ~Lady Strange~  
  
Chapter 6-Finding a Means  
  
New Namek. It resembled its namesake a bit, except for the fact that it was covered in green. Trees grew tall overhead, and deserts were few and far between (think Mononoke ;--J ). Trunks popped a capsule and a small yet roomy capsule house appeared. He then began uncapsuling various other items. Inside the "house" was a kitchen with small eating nook, a bathroom and two undersized although comfortable bedrooms, one adjacent from the other. "This is such a beautiful place." Juuhachi announced, looking out the window after settling herself in the larger of the two rooms. "Yeah, well a couple of psychotic Jinzouningen didn't destroy everything here." Retorted Trunks as he came up behind her. She spun violently, her cropped blond locks slapping painfully against her face. "I said I was sorry! How many times do I have to say it?!" "You can say it till you're blue in the face and it still won't be enough! It won't fix my world, and it won't bring any one back!" She looked down and said quietly, "You're right it won't," then she looked up at him again, "but yelling at me and threatening me won't either!!" "Threats! Who said anything about threats! Those are promises! I will kill you one day. Why? Because one day you'll stop pretending to be changed, pretending to be nice, you'll get bored with it, and then you'll revert to the heartless killing machine you were and still are. You'll go on a rampage again, killing everything in sight, and then I'll kill you." "NO!! That's not true! It's not! I've changed, I have! I-" "You haven't changed. You can't. Humans can change but not you. You're not human. You're a thing. A piece of machinery created only to kill, and if it weren't for the respect I have for my mother, I would destroy you right now."  
  
She stared at him with wide eyes knowing he was right. She wasn't human, maybe at one time but not now, and never again. I was wrong to think he could forgive me. How can he when I can't even forgive myself? He hates me and it's never going to change! I can't understand why its hurts so much to know that. It doesn't matter because. "I hate you!" she shouted at him, "I hate you! I was a fool to even think this would work! You're right; I am nothing but a killing machine! I should have died with my brother, he never hated me! I hate you, and your whole fucking planet, and all the rest of the damn humans, and that son of a bitch Gero for making me this way, and my stupid ass of a brother for leaving me alone," she couldn't hold the tears back any longer, " and you, I HATE YOU!! Did I say it already? I'll say it again, I hate you for not making sure I was dead the first time, and I hate your mother for healing me and not letting you kill me now, b-but m- most of all," she cried between sobs, "I- I-I-I HATE MYSELF!! I hate all that I was! I hate it all! I didn't want to kill; I didn't even want the powers I have now I-I just didn't want to die. But now I see it was all a mistake! I should never have trusted Gero; I should have made my brother stay away from him! We should have died! I should have died, but I didn't and look what's happened!" she continued to sob on the floor. Trunks didn't know what to do. He was truly shocked by what he had just seen. He never thought she was capable of crying. Not knowing what he was doing, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" she screamed before flying out the window. "No! Wait!" it was too late, she was gone. "Shit." ************************************************************************ Juuhachi-gou flew away from the house. I'm not human, Trunks said so himself. I'm a machine. Nothing but a machine designed to destroy things. This world is too beautiful for my kind. She flew faster, finally landing on a grassy hill. The Juu of his future is very human. She has a husband and child who love her. She's not a monster. Why can't I be like that!!! Why can't someone love me!! She sighed, no one loves me. You can't love a monster. The picture of a handsome young man with lavender hair floated into her mind. She buried her face in her hands. "He hates me!" she sobbed, "I'm such a fool! How could I think he could ever feel anything for me but hate." She sat, crying quietly to herself, not noticing the figure behind her. My mother wants me to try to understand her. Maybe. "You're crying." He said. "Yeah well, their not real tears. Just implanted water. Jinzouningen don't cry." She answered bitterly. "Ouch. That hurt." "Should I care? Jinzouningen don't have feelings though right? So even if I wanted to I couldn't. I wouldn't even be able to want it. Jinzouningen don't have desires; they only feel what their programmed to feel." "Why do you keep saying that?" "What?" "Jinzouningen this, Jinzouningen that." "It's what I am, isn't it? That's what you told me. Did I catch the words right? 'You're not human. You're a thing. A piece of machinery.' isn't that what you said?" "I-" he began. She cut him off, "you better kill me now, oh wait no, that's not right, destroy, you better destroy me now before I go mad and blast everything. You can only kill beings that are alive. I am an object, a thing as you put it." She stared at him coldly, "well, do it." "Why do you want to die now? I thought you said-" "There's nothing here for me. My brother died and so must I die, I don't want to live alone." "That's very selfish of you" "Yeah well, I'm a heartless monster remember? What do I care?" Trunks sat down beside her. He looked at the stars then he looked at her. God, she was beautiful. What! Wait a minute! Where the hell did that come from?! He sighed, "So, why are you so heartless?" She looked at him sharply then she sighed, "That's the way he wanted us to be." "Who?" "Gero." This wasn't going anywhere. He knew about her, but he wanted to hear it from her. He wanted to know if she was truly sorry for what she and her brother had done. "Do you know why?" She snorted, "Ya, can't kill innocent people with a conscience I suppose." She ran her hand through her hair. "There's just so much shit that went on." He stared at her, "tell me." He said softly. She stared into the blue sea that was his eyes. "My life was hell. He really fucked with our heads you know that? It started out innocent enough. A boy with a twin sister who has a terminal illness, dead parents, and relatives that didn't want them meets a deranged doctor who wanted revenge and immortality, in a garbage dumb of all places. He was only eight years old for Kamisake! We were only eight! What the hell did we know?! Only that the strange man in the long coat told my brother that if we came with him, he could make me 'all better', he could be our new 'papa'. I remember like it was yesterday.  
  
"My my, what a pretty girl" he said taking her chin and gazing into her then green eyes. "Reminds me so much of my own Anyi. She died when she was only 7. How old are you pretty one?" "8" "8? Where are your parents?" "I don't have any. Only my Ni-san" "Ah. I am.so sorry to hear that" "I-" "Who are you talking to?" a young boy interrupted "you shouldn't talk with strangers." "My apologies young man, my name is Dr. Gero. I was just admiring your sister here. She looks so much like my own lost daughter. She tells me you have no parents." "No sir. They're dead" "Hm" he turned to the girl. "Well my pretty, perhaps I'll see you again..." "Please sir." The boy interjected. "My sister, she.she's sick sir.real sick, but I was thinkin' that, well since you're a doctor and all, maybe you could do somethin' for her." The elderly man paused for a moment then "yes young man, I think there is something I can do for her" he replied a bit twistedly, "something I can do for her.and you as well" "I don't understand." "You will my boy, you will." Two small figures followed a darker one down the alley toward the painful future that awaited them.  
  
We were kept in 'capsules'. There was 'the switch' he used it if we were 'disobedient'. One little throw of the switch and BAM instant pain. Sounds fun huh?" He couldn't think of anything to say. She smirked, "but we got ours. Yep, we killed the bustard and blew up his whole lab. Then we went after the humans. Goku was already dead so we didn't have any programming to follow. We were free to go. We could see them all, humans. Happy in their meaningless little lives. It wasn't fair! Why did they deserve happiness? What had we done to deserve such pain? It wasn't supposed to be the way it was. It only started as a little terrorist act. Scare them a bit. Show them what real unhappiness was like. Then it turned into an obsession. Destroy the world! Take revenge! He loved their screams. I only wanted them to die. Wanted it to end, all of it." She turned to him, "I want it to end now!" He was startled to say the least. "What?" "I want it to end now! I want you to kill me now! I don't want this anymore! This painful, meaningless, lonely thing called life. I want you to take it away!" she stared down at the ground and said quietly, "Please." "I can't do that." "Oh I get it! You want me to suffer. When I thought I wanted to live, you would kill me. Now that I want to die, you force me to live. I-I thought that maybe, since we were talking like this, maybe.oh what's the use! That's all it amounts to!" "You're not making sense." "We're enemies, you hate me and I hate you! Only.I got cheated." "Oh? And how is that?" She closed the gap between them and pressed the her lips against his. When she pulled away she whispered, "I don't hate you."  
  
**************************************************************************** ****************  
  
Trunks could only barely hide his shock. She kissed me! What is going on here? This isn't supposed to happen! She felt so real, so.human. "What are you doing?" She backed away looking mortified. "I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that!" "." She looked at him again, this time with the cold blue eyes that he hadn't seen since the day he had destroyed her brother. She slowly stood up and brushed the dirt from her dress. "I am a machine, nothing more nothing less. Doctor Gero destroyed most of my humanity. Any humanity I had left died with my brother." she launched herself into the air. Trunks stared up at her "where are you going?" "Away from you." He grabbed her arm and held it firmly, "I can't let you go anywhere" "I came here didn't I?" "And I followed you." "Let me go." "I can't" "I'll fight you." "And I'll kill you." "Kill me then." She dared him. "I promised my mother." "Tell her I attacked you. Come on." She ripped open the top of her dress and placed a hand on her exposed chest. "Right here. I know you want to. You threaten me every day. 'I should kill you' 'if it weren't for my mother you'd be gone in an instant' well here's your chance. Rid the universe of this horrible thing!!" she replaced her hand on her chest with his. "Do it! I want a way out!" when he remained unmoving, she shoved him roughly away. "Fine, you won't do it, I will!" she brought her hand to her forehead. "One shot, that's all it takes!" her hands began to twitch and her body shook uncontrollably. She held her hand to her head, pressing her palms to her ears. "No! No! You sick bastard get out of my head! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"  
  
She fell from the sky landing with a sickening thud. She then began twitching violently screaming and mumbling to herself. As the voice in her head spoke "piece of junk, worthless thing. No! No, I'm not! Oh yes you are! No, go away! We killed you you're gone! I may be dead but you still belong to me. I control you. You kill who I want you to. I have your mind and therefore you! No! My brother.and I. we.we killed you! Perhaps, perhaps I am only a demon in your head. Go away! You're worthless! A thing, a machine! Do you think he could love you? He hates you, despises you. You mean nothing to him. Ahhhhh!" Trunks she sat up in a cold sweat not realizing anything, only screaming to herself. "You're right! He does hate me!" Trunks landed near to her, afraid to touch her he asked warily, "Juu.Juuhachi? Are you.are you.alright?" she sat up, staring at him before burying her face in her hands. "Scrap metal, nothing more, probably less. Worthless, horrid, evil thing." Trunks moved closer to her, "Juuhachi?" but she only continued to whimper. I have never seen her like this. She has, in my eyes, always been the enemy, slayer of my father and many of the earth's people but now.what is she now? Cold and alone. He sat on the ground near her and pulled her into his lap. Pressing her head against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, he smoothed her hair and allowed her to cry into his shirt. As her body stopped shaking and her breathing slowed, he realized she had gone to sleep. 


	7. Awaken My Soul

A/N: ok so I know juu has been a bit OOC but bear with me. I'm trying to portray her as something beyond what she is thought to be. R/R  
  
When she awoke, 18 felt very warm. She snuggled closer to the source of the warmth, relishing it before she realized that it was coming from someone's body. Completely awake at this point, she attempted to get up only to discover that she was being tightly held uncomfortably close to the body by a pair of strong arms. Her eyes widened as she saw and felt the position in which those arms were. One had snaked itself over her torso so that the hand at the end of it rested just beneath her breast. The other was also resting on her torso and found its respected hand placed on the upper part of her thigh. Her eyes became further enlarged when she realized that the leg that entwined with hers was not her own. As she came to these conclusions, her breathing quickened and her heart sounded loudly in her ears. When a soft strand of lavender hair fell into her face however, her eyes nearly popped from her head and she involuntarily started. This caused the sleeping young man, whose arms she was wrapped in, to wake up. She turned to look at him and see what he would do. ************************************************************************ Trunks opened his eyes and stared at her face. Beautiful. Then he looked the position they were in and quickly released her, standing as he did so. Oh shit. Oh shit! Ok, its ok. Nothing happened, it's O-K. 18 stared at him as he thought. "um, what happened?" He turned to her, "you don't remember" "No." "Oh, well nothing, you collapsed and I helped you. We must have fallen asleep." 18 skeptically nodded. Then she turned her head to the depression they had made in the grass. "Uh, did um.did we.?" she asked him. "No!" he answered in a horse, high-pitched voice. Then he cleared his throat. "ehem, no." "Oh." She said, trying not to sound disappointed. "So.what do we do now?" "Well its daylight and we should be looking for dragonballs but I have a feeling we ought to check camp first. She nodded "I suppose you're right.nothing will ever be different between us will it?" Without looking at her he trained his face to a blank. "No it won't, it can't ever be." She sighed, "So you still believe I'll go crazy and kill everyone? Well, I can't say that I blame you, after last night's episode even I'm a little doubtful of my sanity." He shrugged, "come on." He replied coolly "we have things to do." She put a hand on her hip, "so it's back to collar and leash again huh? I had thought we were coming to some sort of understanding if not friendship but.oh well 'machines' don't need friends anyway." "Now don't start that again." She shrugged, "you said it not me. Anyway I have to admit it's the truth, I am more machine than human. No use wishing otherwise; but you wanna know something?" "What?" "Even if I could be human again I don't think I'd want to be. As it is I don't even know how to act around them without killing them. I doubt I could be one." "so how are you planning to 'rejoin' society?" "I won't. I'll live up in the mountains somewhere." He frowned "alone?" "Well yeah. Who do you know would want to live with a barely sane, killer cyborg? No one. And even if someone did, they couldn't be human, I may be able to tolerate them, but most I wouldn't be able to live with." "What will you do?" "Well its not like I really need to eat, I can and I do get hungry, but I don't need to. I'll probably stay there till I die, which will be a long time since my circuits won't wear out for awhile thanks to your mother and I would never be able to commit suicide unless it was absolutely necessary." She shrugged, "don't worry, I'll find something that doesn't include mass genocide." Trunks' frowned deepened at this. He had assumed that she would just blend into the populace and lead a 'normal' life. He took her arm. "Well you'll just have to wait until I release you." This made her angry. "Release me?! How dare you! I am not your prisoner!" "What? I never-" Her eyes narrowed "I see now, you only pretended to be nice to me. Pretended to help me. You're just like everyone else; all you want is to use me!" "No! I-" "Everyone thinks they can own me? Well guess what, I will not be owned. Not by Dr. Gero, not by my brother and not by you! Not now and never again!" "You're over reacting! I'm not trying to use you. I just can't let you out of my sight. Besides, why would I want to use you? What would I use you for?" She glowered at him, fists clenched, ready for any sort of fight. "Would you stop?! I'm not trying to use you! I never even wanted you in the first place! I don't need a killer cybourg and what else could I use you for?" "So that's all you think I'm good for? Killing things?" "I didn't mean it like that." "Say what you mean and mean what you say." "Look I'm sorry if I 'offended' you but you started it." "I-" "Why do you always think someone's against you?" "Aren't you against me? Isn't it you that wishes so vehemently to destroy me! You're confusing me! Yesterday you told me I'm a horrid killing machine and threaten my life, today I find myself waking in your arms! Is that not a contradiction! I can't understand it and you are not helping! Are we friends or enemies, do you hate me or." She turned away, not being able to finish the question for fear of already knowing the answer. She sighed I know he hates me. He must hate me, how else could he feel? For the things I have done I don't even deserve this second chance much less his love. "I will go with you." "But-" "Please, no questions." "I-" "Listen, I'll go, I'll act normal, I'll do whatever you want just." "What?" "Try not to hate me too much." 


	8. I Dream of Tears

She flew. With only passion in her mind, she flew. Never alone, he flew as well. High, farther from the ground than even the birds themselves. Spiraling into the clouds, in this world there was neither up nor down only space. No sound but that which was produced by their bodies cutting through the air. Here there was no sorrow, no pain, no loneliness.only him.with her. They stopped and he reached out his hand pulling her to him. Closer and closer she came until finally, pressed against his chest she feared he would absorb her completely. He tilted her chin up toward his face pressing his lips to hers lavender strands of hair tangling with blonde ones. When it ended he looked into her eyes, down into her soul . . . "stay with me" She smiled and opened her mouth to answer "I-" then stopped, the world began to fade. "Oh no." He stared at her confused, "Juu?" She shook her head, hot tears running down her cheeks, "no! Not now! I'm not ready to go!" "Juu what's wrong?!" She clung to him, desperate now. "Please! Don't let her take me back!" He held her to him, "who?" She didn't answer, instead she cried out into thin air. "No! Don't make me go! Please don't make me leave this place! He loves me here! He loves me!" She screamed as he started to fade from sight and as she tried to grasp him her hands came away empty. "don't leave me!", she cried to him, "don't leave me alone!". The sky had gone black and she found herself drifting further and further away. "No! I don't want to go back! He doesn't love me there! He doesn't love me."  
  
. . .  
  
"No!" she screamed as she woke. Glancing around, she found herself once again in her own bedroom within the capsule house. Flinging the covers away she stumbled from the bed and down the hall to where he lay asleep. The door was open and she peeked inside. Pools of moonlight were splashed across his face as he lay sleeping peacefully, limbs sprawled everywhere. A tear formed its own salty trail down her cheek. 'He's so beautiful'. She sank quietly to the floor in the hallway, crying herself to sleep.  
  
. . . he doesn't love me there . . . 


End file.
